Matt Reeves on 'The Penguin': 'He is so underestimated'

The creator of The Batman universe, Matt Reeves said the idea for a show focusing on the Penguin came to his mind because the character was "so underestimated" in the 2022 film.

In a chat with EW, the filmmaker recalled his discussions with the HBO/Warner Bros about the variety of concepts for a show.

“They were like, ‘We like what you’re doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters.'”

From there, Matt recounts, he opted to broaden the story of Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin.

“What’s interesting is that, in the movie, the big red herring of the story is it seems like the person they’re looking for, that the Riddler’s pointing to must be the Penguin, some kind of informant."

Adding, "This movie creates a power vacuum, and because Penguin is so underestimated, people don’t really see who he is.”

Further, the 58-year-old said the direction they wanted the story of the Batman villain to go is in a "mythic Shakespearean way."

“We wanted it to be, not in a grandiose way, but in a mythic Shakespearean way, this kind of great tale.”